Skip to content
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't poster
3.0 / 10(32 votes)IMDbG19661h 29mItaly

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Il Natale che quasi non fu

“A more wonderful...more magical...more musical entertainment than this - there just isn't!”

Synopsis

Sam Whipple, an attorney in once-upon-a-time-land, is startled to receive a visit from Santa Claus shortly before Christmas. It seems that when he was a child, Sam wrote a letter thanking Santa for the presents he'd received, and offering to return the favor someday. That day is now - a mean old soul named Phineas Prune, who holds the deed to the North Pole, is demanding back rent. Otherwise, he's going to evict Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves and take all the Christmas toys. It's up to Sam and Santa to find a way to pay off Prune and prevent Christmas from being canceled.

Play Movie

Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes

Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.

TV SPOT- "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" (1966) Directed by Rosanno Brazzi

Type: Trailer • Published 2009-11-16

Check streaming options on JustWatch

Release History & Theatrical Window

Theatrical Premiere

November 23, 1966

Wide Cinema Exhibition

Key Information & Fast Facts

Director
Rossano Brazzi
Screenplay & Story
Rossano Brazzi, Paul Tripp
Original Score
Bruno Nicolai
Original Title
Il Natale che quasi non fu
Country of Origin
Italy
Spoken Languages
English, Italian
Runtime
1h 29m
Production Studios
Medusa Distribuzione, Childhood Productions, Bambi Productions

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Rossano Brazzi

Screenplay & Story

Rossano Brazzi, Paul Tripp

Original Score & Music

Bruno Nicolai

Director of Photography

Alvaro Mancori

Film Editing

Maurizio Lucidi

Producers

Barry B. Yellen

Department Leadership Roster

Rossano Brazzi

Rossano Brazzi

Writer

Rossano Brazzi

Rossano Brazzi

Director

Paul Tripp

Writer

Alvaro Mancori

Director of Photography

Bruno Nicolai

Original Music Composer

Maurizio Lucidi

Editor

Barry B. Yellen

Producer

Age Classification & Content Advisories

Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.

Primary: G

G: General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.

International Certification Matrix

United States (MPAA)G

General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.

Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Christmas That Almost Wasn't.

Featured In Curated Collections

Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Christmas That Almost Wasn't.

B-Movies

Best of the Worst + MST3K + RiffTrax + TMDb b-movie keyword, filtered to low-budget, non-acclaimed features.

1345 titles

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Every feature film riffed on Mystery Science Theater 3000 (KTMA through The RiffTrax Experiments).

225 titles

MovieLens[30K:40K]

9864 titles

Santa Classics

8 titles

Christmas Movies

Christmas films from Wikipedia's list, excluding films merely set at Christmas.

415 titles

Christmas Movies

Christmas films from Wikipedia's list and Wikidata genre tagging.

1071 titles

Similar Titles to The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling

  • 5.1
  • 6.8
  • 5.1
  • 6.0
  • 6.5
  • 6.1
  • 6.7
  • 6.6
  • 5.7
  • 6.7
  • 7.5
  • 7.0
  • 7.4
  • 6.8
  • 7.1
  • 5.6
  • 7.2
  • 6.5
  • 8.9

More Like The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.

6.3
6.0
6.1
6.5
7.3
6.7
6.0
7.1
6.0
6.6
6.1
6.1

Frequently Asked Questions About The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.

What is The Christmas That Almost Wasn't about?

Sam Whipple, an attorney in once-upon-a-time-land, is startled to receive a visit from Santa Claus shortly before Christmas. It seems that when he was a child, Sam wrote a letter thanking Santa for the presents he'd received, and offering to return the favor someday. That day is now - a mean old soul named Phineas Prune, who holds the deed to the North Pole, is demanding back rent. Otherwise, he's going to evict Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves and take all the Christmas toys. It's up to Sam and Santa to find a way to pay off Prune and prevent Christmas from being canceled.

Who directed The Christmas That Almost Wasn't?

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't was directed by Rossano Brazzi.

Who stars in The Christmas That Almost Wasn't?

The principal cast of The Christmas That Almost Wasn't includes Paul Tripp, Lydia Brazzi, Alberto Rabagliati, Rossano Brazzi, Sonny Fox.

When was The Christmas That Almost Wasn't released and how long is it?

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't was released in 1966 with a total runtime of 1h 29m.

Who composed the musical score for The Christmas That Almost Wasn't?

The original motion picture soundtrack for The Christmas That Almost Wasn't was composed by Bruno Nicolai.

What is the age rating and content advisory for The Christmas That Almost Wasn't?

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't holds official age classifications: US: G (General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.).